In the Alpine village of Mulegns, Switzerland, a 3D-printed ice cream shop, the Gelateria, stands as an architectural experiment by Origen and ETH Zurich. Neighboring the team’s recently completed White Tower, the project is conceived to revive the region with an approach that merges digital fabrication and material reuse.

Designed and built by students from ETH Zurich’s Master of Advanced Studies in Architecture and Digital Fabrication (MAS ETH DFAB), Gelateria serves as both an ice cream shop and a prototype for contemporary construction. The project combines a reclaimed timber structure with a 3D-printed interior, revealing how computational design can expand architectural possibilities.

the Gelateria is an experimental ice cream shop and architectural prototype | images © ETH Zurich

eth zurich brings Robotic Craft to alpine Architecture

From the exterior, the structure of ETH Zurich’s Gelateria recalls the familiar silhouette of the barn that previously occupied the site. The team at employs locally-sourced mass timber elements, which were prefabricated nearby and assembled into a faceted geometry that suggests folded paper. The timber shell is clad in a translucent membrane, filtering daylight and exposing the vibrant interior to passersby.

Inside, a colorful cupola becomes the project’s focal point. The vaulted form was fabricated at ETH Zurich’s Robotic Fabrication Lab using an experimental extrusion technique known as Hollow-Core. Originally developed for facade panels, the process was adapted to create a large-scale enclosure. The result is an ultra-lightweight structure covering over 250 square meters but weighing less than one metric ton.

ETH Zurich students designed and built the project as part of the MAS ETH DFAB program

gelateria A Cultural Catalyst for the Alps

The Gelateria’s interior, Origen and ETH Zurich use recycled PETG, a thermoplastic common in food packaging, demonstrating how plastic waste can acquire new expressive roles in architecture. By reducing the geometric resolution of the digital model, the team accelerated production while emphasizing the layered texture of extrusion.

This commitment to material circularity extends to the building as a whole. The timber structure can be disassembled and reassembled, while the plastic elements can be shredded and reprinted. The project’s design language draws on Belle Époque ornament and Baroque exuberance, reinterpreted through computational workflows and contemporary ecological values.

Gelateria forms part of Nova Fundaziun Origen’s broader vision for Mulegns, positioning architectural innovation as a catalyst for cultural and economic renewal in the region. By coupling reclaimed wood and recycled polymers with advanced robotic processes, the project demonstrates a pathway toward more sustainable and adaptive building practices.

a reclaimed timber structure forms the faceted exterior geometry, recalling an Alpine barn

a translucent membrane covers the building, filtering daylight into the vivid interior

the colorful cupola was 3D printed using recycled PETG and the Hollow-Core extrusion process

the interior spans over 250 square meters while weighing less than one metric ton

material reuse and robotic fabrication combine to explore sustainable construction

all components are demountable, supporting circularity and future reuse

project info:

name: The Gelateria

architect: ETH Zurich | @ethzurich, Origen | @origenfestivalcultural

location: Mulegns, Switzerland

photography: © ETH Zurich

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At ETH Zurich, scientists develop a building material that is alive and store carbon dioxide from air using growing bacteria and hydrogel. The research has already been applied to the 3D printed biostructures inside the Canada Pavilion at the Venice Architecture Biennale 2025 as well as in Dafne’s Skin at the 24th International Exhibition in Triennale Milano. The team’s goal is to make living materials that can be used for construction and to capture and store carbon dioxide from air using photosynthesis. To achieve this, they combine active cyanobacteria with hydrogel, and as a result, they can shape it using a 3D printer. 

The living material, then, grows, and as it does, removes the carbon dioxide from the air. The scientists add that the material only needs sunlight, a kind of artificial seawater with nutrients, and carbon dioxide to survive, and because of this, they believe it can be used in architecture to store carbon, which in turn can help fight climate change. The building material that stores carbon can also cause minerals to form with a chemical reaction that happens during photosynthesis. These solid minerals trap the carbon dioxide in a more stable way than biomass does.

all images courtesy of ETH Zurich; photos by Yifan Cui and Dalia Dranseike, unless stated otherwise

cyanobacteria is able to form and build up minerals

A reason that the building material that stores carbon dioxide is possible to use for architecture is because as the cyanobacteria is able to form and build up the minerals inside the living object, it becomes harder and stronger eventually, and the structure becomes solid over time. In the published study, the scientists document their laboratory tests where they discovered that the building material kept absorbing carbon dioxide for over 400 days, or more than a year. Then, most of the captured carbon was stored as solid minerals inside the material. 

The scientists have also used hydrogel as the base to mix cyanobacteria with because it is light enough to allow nutrients, and even carbon dioxide, to pass through it and spread out within it evenly. The team turns to 3D printing to shape the building material that stores carbon dioxide, and they’ve also created tailored shapes that allow the light to come inside the object so the nutrients can spread inside and bacteria can stay active for more than a year inside the material. For the scientists, this is a low-energy, eco-friendly way to capture carbon dioxide from the air.

view of a 3D printed lattice structure using cyanobacteria in hydrogel

Projects where the living material is applied to

Some projects have already started applying the building material that stores carbon dioxide to their works. The first is in Picoplanktonics, which is an exhibition of 3D printed biostructures inside the Canada Pavilion at the Venice Architecture Biennale 2025. Led by Andrea Shin Ling, a doctoral student at ETH Zurich and lead designer of the Living Room Collective, the project uses cyanobacteria on a large scale to capture and store carbon dioxide from the air. It is an example of how the bacteria hardens the structure enough to be used in architecture and construction.

The second is at the 24th International Exhibition at Triennale Milano through an installation called Dafne’s Skin. A collaboration between MAEID Studio and Dalia Dranseike, it is part of a larger exhibition called We the Bacteria: Notes Toward Biotic Architecture, which looks at how living things can be used in architectural design. The structure is covered with wooden shingles where microorganisms are growing on the wood, creating a green layer over time. This green layer, called a patina, is usually a sign of aging or decay, but here it’s part of the design, changing the look of the wood while absorbing carbon dioxide from the air over time.

3D-printed pineapple with cyanobacteria growing inside after a development period of 60 days

3D printed cup that can trap carbon dioxide from air

detailed view of Dafne’s Skin at Triennale Milano

living patina on wood (II): Microbial texture (visualisation, generated with AI) | image by Lorem / Luca Pagan

Picoplanktonics in Canada Pavilion at Venice Architecture Biennale 2025 | photo by Valentina Mori | read here

the project uses cyanobacteria on a large scale to capture and store carbon dioxide

project info:

name: Dual carbon sequestration with photosynthetic living materials

institutions: ETH Zurich, University of Wyoming | @ethzurich, @uofwyoming

scientists: Dalia Dranseike, Yifan Cui, Andrea S. Ling, Felix Donat, Stéphane Bernhard, Margherita Bernero, Akhil Areeckal, Marco Lazic, Xiao-Hua Qin, John S. Oakey, Benjamin Dillenburger, André R. Studart, Mark W. Tibbitt

study: here

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OZRUH and ETH Zurich regenerate marble dust waste into 3D printed stone installation at the Venice Architecture Biennale 2025. On view between May 10th and November 23rd, 2025, the project attempts to look into how architecture can address waste using modular structure and regenerative materials. It’s a two-part project for the design teams. The first one is the modular 3D printed marble dust, located at the Pavilion of Türkiye. The next, a documentary film in the Artificial section of the Arsenale curated by Carlo Ratti, where the robots are present, too.

A focus on the 3D printed marble dust: it’s called Anti-Ruin. OZRUH and ETH Zurich use the byproduct of the marble extraction processes at the Lasa Marmo Quarry in South Tyrol for the installation. The teams process the dust using a binder jetting method developed by Dr. Pietro Odaglia at Digital Building Technologies, ETH Zurich. It adopts a liquid binder to solidify the dust. The process, then, doesn’t need molds or formwork. As a result, the teams have two columns and a horizontal slab, all of which are modular. They form the ensemble of the 3D printed marble dust.

all images courtesy of OZRUH | all photos by Lloyd Lee

Stone installation at the Venice architecture biennale 2025 

One of the columns isn’t connected to the slab; the user can adjust or move it. The structural engineering team at formDP turns to computational tools to produce it like this. The software helped them calculate the center of gravity and internal load paths of the slab. The reason it is adjustable is because OZRUH and ETH Zurich want to explore the boundaries of architectural completeness at the Venice Architecture Biennale 2025. Instead of viewing buildings as either finished or unfinished, Anti-Ruin lets each construction phase and piece function independently and be modular, a growing trend in recent architecture. The 3D printed marble dust installation forms part of the ‘Grounded / Yerebatan’ exhibition at the Pavilion of Türkiye, curated by Bilge Kalfa and Ceren Erdem, commissioned by İKSV.

Since the project integrates recycled materials from quarry waste, it can be disassembled and reused. The accompanying film at the Arsenale by Troy Edige and Beyza Mese documents the design, printing, and construction stages. It includes footage from ETH Zurich and the Lasa Marmo Quarry. The next stop of Anti-Ruin is at the World Design Congress at the Barbican in London, between September 9th and 10th, 2025. This phase applies the same system to alternative construction waste, including crushed brick and demolition dust. In this way, the 3D printed marble dust continues as an installation that focuses on recycling and making modular components for architecture.

3D printed installation at the Venice Architecture Biennale 2025 from marble dust and recycled components

the project, led by OZRUH in collaboration with ETH Zurich, looks into how architecture can address waste

it’s a two-part project, with the first one being the modular 3D printed marble dust

the installation by OZRUH and ETH Zurich is inside the Pavilion of Türkiye

OZRUH and ETH Zurich use the byproduct of the marble extraction processes at the Lasa Marmo Quarry

the teams process the dust using a binder jetting method

the process doesn’t need molds or formwork to function or be produced

detailed view of Anti-Ruin

there’s an accompanying documentary film in the Artificial section of the Arsenale

the movie documents the teams’ process

project info:

name: Anti-Ruin

design: OZRUH | @ozruh_official

institution: ETH Zurich | @ethzurich

engineering: formDP | @form_dp

photography: Lloyd Lee

designboom has received this project from our DIY submissions feature, where we welcome our readers to submit their own work for publication. see more project submissions from our readers here.

edited by: matthew burgos | designboom

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The remote village of Mulegns in the Swiss Alps has welcomed the dubbed tallest 3D printed white tower in the area, Tor Alva. Unveiled on May 20th, 2025, it is the Origen cultural foundation that led the work in collaboration with ETH Zurich. From May 23rd onwards, the 3D printed white tower is open every day for guided tours. Then, starting July 2025, the space can host staged performances. Tor Alva plans to stay in Mulegns for around five years. After that, it can be dismantled and re-erected elsewhere, but there’s no news yet on where it can head next.

The construction of the White Tower in the remote village of Mulegns in the Swiss Alps began on February 1st, 2024, with the introduction of 3D printed columns of the Tor Alva architecture. The first 8 columns of the lower floor were 3D printed by a robot that extruded soft concrete into multilayered print paths at ETH in Zurich, resulting in a series of joint-based, twisting hollow columns for the White Tower. The 3D printed architecture requires no framework, while the necessary steel reinforcement was inserted in the robotic production process.

all images courtesy of Michael Hansmeyer and Benjamin Dillenburger | photo by Birdviewpicture

Inside the process of the 3D printed white tower

The White Tower, or Tor Alva in Mulegns, Swiss Alps, is designed by architects Benjamin Dillenburger and Michael Hansmeyer. The Digital Building Technologies group of ETH Zurich is developing the tower’s technology in collaboration with the Institute of Structural Analysis and Design (CSBD) and the Institute of Building Materials (PCBM) in the context of the National Competence Center Digital Fabrication. Based on the timeline that Michael Hansmeyer detailed, the 3D printed White Tower had its columns assembled in May 2024.

3D printing became the main tool that realized the architecture of the White Tower. Soft concrete emerged as the key ingredient, and as the robot extruded thin layers of soft concrete through a nozzle, it instinctively directed itself to form geometric, hollow columns until it reached a certain height. The material, being soft concrete, was malleable enough to bond to form homogeneous components. As soon as it hardened, which it did quite quickly, it supported the successive freshly layered extrusion. The design team says that by saving mass and cement, the 3D printing process can also entail a reduction in the carbon emissions generated during production.

the remote village of Mulegns in the Swiss Alps has welcomed Tor Alva | photo by Birdviewpicture

3D printed Tor Alva as an artistic and cultural space

At 30 meters high, including the base, the White Tower may take home the crown for being the tallest 3D printed building in the world. Another feature that the design team highlights comes through the absence of the formwork, given that the concrete is not poured in 3D printing but rather layered in extruded strips by a robot. Adding to this, dismantling the 3D printed White Tower can be easy. In fact, the design team has this in their minds since they might think of rebuilding Tor Alva someplace else after serving its five-year life in the Swiss Alps. It helps that the architecture has a modular design that allows the individual components to be easily assembled and dismantled, and be connected using removable screws instead of adhesives.

Diving into the project’s background, the 3D printed White Tower, or Tor Alva, rises at 30 meters along the Julien mountain in the remote village of Mulegns, Switzerland. It is designed for Fundaziun Origen, functioning as a space for art installations, music, and theater performances. The recently printed hollow columns echo the central interior of the architecture, with the facade being windowless and open, adorned by the criss-cross structure natural to the 3D printing process. The White Tower presents itself as the byproduct of computational design, digital fabrication, structural engineering, and materials science, gradually emerging from the use of soft concrete extrusion.

the tower was unveiled on May 20th, 2025 | photo by CheWei Lin

From the get-go, the 3D printed White Tower already embodies an installative character. If this springs as the first thought, then treating it as a venue for intimate concerts, art affairs, and cultural mediation becomes complementary. Glancing at its design, Tor Alva consists of 32 branching columns that wrap around a series of abstract and atmospheric rooms. From the ground, visitors ascend through the vertical stairs, and once they reach the top floor, the vaulted concert venue greets them alongside the panoramic horizon across the Julier valley. The design team says that the White Tower’s characteristics are reminiscent of the craftsmanship of the master builders of the Baroque era in Grison, brought to life again by 3D printing.

The story was updated on May 21st, 2025, to announce the opening of the tower.

the soft concrete, was malleable enough to bond to form homogeneous components | photo by Benjamin Hofer

view of the 3D printed columns | photo by Nijat Mahamaliyev

inside the Tor Alva | photo by Benjamin Hofer

the 3D printed architecture requires no framework | photo by Nijat Mahamaliyev

view of Tor Alva during wintertime | photo by Michael Hansmeyer and Benjamin Dillenburger

view of the White Tower in village of Mulegns | photo by Benjamin Hofer

the tower can change its lighting color | photo by Michael Hansmeyer and Benjamin Dillenburger

at night, the tower lights up | photo by Michael Hansmeyer and Benjamin Dillenburger

project info:

name: White Tower / Tor Alva

architects: Benjamin Dillenburger, Michael Hansmeyer

technology: Digital Building Technologies of ETH Zurich, Institute of Structural Analysis and Design, Institute of Building Materials

location: Mulegns, Switzerland, on the Julier Pass

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The Block Research Group at ETH Zurich develops a lightweight and reusable formwork system that reduces the use of concrete and steel in construction. Called Unfold Form, the fan-shaped structure led by student and researcher Lotte Scheder-Bieschin uses up to 60 percent less concrete and 90 percent less steel. This is compared to the conventional reinforced concrete floor slab. In this case, the reusable formwork system can reduce carbon emissions and material waste that leave environmental footprints.

The Unfold Form is a new method for constructing reusable vaulted concrete floors in unreinforced concrete using less steel in construction. The mold is made of lightweight plates connected by textile hinges. These plates are folded flat for transport and then unfolded like a fan into a self-supporting shape at the construction site. Once unfolded, the formwork can hold 1,000 kg of concrete. So, instead of using reinforcement steel, the reusable formwork system is robust because of its specific curved shape. This is a case of the ETH Zurich team’s reusable formwork system reducing concrete and steel in construction.

all images courtesy of ETH Zurich and Block Research Group | photos by Andrei Jipa, unless stated otherwise

ETH zurich’s Unfold Form relies on geometry-based principles

The reusable Unfold Form by The Block Research Group at ETH Zurich relies on geometry-based principles rather than traditional materials like concrete and steel in construction. Its fan-shaped, curved, and foldable creases made of bending-active plates allow for a self-supporting, corrugated structure. In return, these ridges make the structure stiff enough to keep it from bending or collapsing and let the system distribute weight evenly. 

Design-wise, the team – which comprises Lotte Scheder-Bieschin, Mark Hellrich, Dr. Tom Van Mele, and Dr. Philippe Block – uses computational co-design to devise the formwork and shell structure. The materials they work with to create the reusable formwork system with less concrete and steel in construction include PVC-coated polyester textile and 8 mm-thick plywood plates. The system is delivered as a kit that can be assembled on-site in just 30 minutes without any special skills or tools needed since it opens like a fan.

the Block Research Group at ETH Zurich develops a lightweight and reusable formwork system

Testing the system in Zurich and Cape Town

The research team has already put their reusable formwork system in place: one in Zurich and another in Cape Town. In both areas, the system results in just 24 kilos and measures 160 x 40 x 25 cm. They’re able to transport the compact, flat-packed formwork as checked luggage by plane from Switzerland to South Africa. On top of that, they’re able to reuse the same mold across multiple casting cycles, all the while not losing the structure’s quality.

The test gives them a concrete shell, spanning 3 meters by 1.8 meters, weighing 1,000 kilos in total, is 5 centimeters at its thinnest, and 13 centimeters at its thickest. They use a circular fill to complete the floor system, and the corrugations provide structural height for live loads. Moving forward, the team collaborates with NonCrete, who has developed a bio-concrete based on chipped alien invasive vegetation. They’re also looking into consistently using the formwork system as well as the resulting shell floor to combat wasteful molds and inefficient slabs.

the reusable formwork system that reduces the use of concrete and steel in construction

called Unfold Form, the formwork system can create a fan-shaped structure

the reusable formwork system can reduce carbon emissions and material waste

the mold is made of lightweight plates connected by textile hinges | from here on, photos by Lotte Scheder-Bieschin

the structure relies on geometry-based principles rather than traditional materials

view below the structure

the reusable formwork system is robust because of its specific curved shape

once unfolded, the formwork can hold 1,000 kg of concrete

the team uses computational design to devise the formwork and shell structure

project info:

name: Unfold Form

institution: ETH Zurich | @ethzurich

team: Block Research Group | @blockresearchgroup

researchers: Lotte Scheder-Bieschin, Mark Hellrich, Dr. Tom Van Mele, Dr. Philippe Block

photography: Andrei Jipa, Lotte Scheder-Bieschin

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OctaFoam is a truncated octahedral matrix of ceramic foam that forms a porous masonry wall structure boasting high thermal efficiency and customizable oriented windows. Digital fabrication introduces a sustainable approach to masonry by utilizing ceramic foam crafted from recycled solid wastes, addressing contemporary ecological concerns in construction. Robots efficiently cut bespoke components from large ceramic foam blocks, minimizing waste in the process. Developed by a collaborative research and design team from Southeast University Nanjing and ETH Zurich, OctaFoam acts as a load-bearing wall with a skeleton-infill structure. The skeleton extends in four directions, while the infill covers both surfaces, creating large voids between them. Occupying only 36% of the volume, the solids provide thermal insulation and contribute to a lightweight structure. From a mass production perspective, one block of raw material can construct three times the original wall volume.

OctaFoam prototype – inside view | all images courtesy of Southeast University & ETH Zurich

Innovative Eco-Friendly Design attends to Seismic Resilience

The prefabricated foam components are assembled as dry masonry, and the interlock mechanism, inspired by the Abeille vault, enhances seismic resistance. The structure, made entirely of ceramic foam, features a rotated discrete grid, blurring the boundary between skeleton and infill. Oriented openings can be added, enhancing sunlight intake or framing specific views. OctaFoam, cut using a diamond wire saw from large recycled ceramic foam blocks, proves more eco-friendly than traditional bricks. The research team from Southeast University Nanjing and ETH Zurich employed a wire-cutting technique, inspired by stereotomy, for complex structures. The masonry mechanism aims to minimize components and wire-cutting trajectory, balancing design and economic production. OctaFoam incorporates two-scale architected porosity, optimizing material usage and offering superior structural and thermal performance. This innovative construction method results from the synergy between computational geometry, robotic fabrication, operations research, and circular economy principles.

OctaFoam prototype – outside view

skeleton-infill structure – side view

oriented opening in the wall

prefabricated components’ assembly

prefabricated components’ assembly

cutting robots

hot-wire cutting of EPS foam using a robotic system

hot-wire cutting of EPS foam using a robotic system

project info:

name: OctaFoam

host: Southeast University Nanjing | @southeast.university – ETH Zurich | @ethzurich

design team: XIA Zhixiang, QIU Shubing, YANG Kaizhong, CHEN Siqi

project director: Hao Hua (Southeast University) & Benjamin Dillenburger (ETH Zurich)

location: Nanjing, China

designboom has received this project from our DIY submissions feature, where we welcome our readers to submit their own work for publication. see more project submissions from our readers here.

edited by: christina vergopoulou | designboom

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Holcim introduces Phoenix, a 3D-printed concrete masonry bridge created with 10 tons of recycled materials. Developed in collaboration with Block Research Group at ETH Zurich, Zaha Hadid Architects Computation and Design Group, and incremental3D, this sustainable infrastructure utilizes Holcim’s proprietary concrete ink with recycled materials inside, marking a significant step presented at their Innovation Hub in Europe.

Phoenix’s inception arose partially from the recycling of aggregates from the original blocks of Striatus, the first 3D concrete printed bridge without reinforcement launched by the partners during the 2021 Venice Biennale of Architecture. Edelio Bermejo, Head of Global R&D at Holcim, emphasizes the project’s alignment with sustainability goals, stating that Phoenix ‘demonstrates that essential infrastructure can be designed and built in a way that is circular and low-carbon today.’

image by Vincent Delesvaux

marrying innovation with circular design

Phoenix merges innovation with circular design, highlighting the potential for a more eco-conscious infrastructure landscape. Circular construction, integrating computational design and 3D printing, facilitates a possible reduction of up to 50% in material usage without compromising performance. Phoenix, designed with circular principles, relies on compression alone, devoid of reinforcement, utilizing blocks that can be easily disassembled and recycled. Philippe Block, Co-Director of Block Research Group at ETH Zurich, highlighted the historical masonry arch principles employed in the design:  ‘Following these historical principles allows us to keep materials separated for easy recycling and to dry-assemble the structure for easy deconstruction and reuse. 3D concrete printing allows us to use material only and exactly where needed. The result is a sustainable and truly circular approach to concrete construction.’

‘Phoenix is a significant milestone in technology readiness. It showcases the maturation of integrated design to construction technologies,’ comments Shajay Bhooshan, Head of Computation and Design Group at Zaha Hadid Architects, on the project’s technological advancement.‘Now, after two years and in its second iteration, Phoenix adds a largely reduced carbon footprint and permanence according to building codes along with many other further improvements,’ describes Johannes Megens, Co-Founder of incremental3D. Using its ECOCycle® circular technology, Holcim and its partners are exploring now potential routes to scale up Phoenix for broader implementation in sustainable infrastructure solutions. 

image by Block Research Group

the first-of-its-kind 3D-printed concrete masonry bridge, image by Block Research Group

a design solely reliant on compression, without reinforcement, image by Vincent Delesvaux

image by Vincent Delesvaux

the bridge utilizes 10 tons of recycled materials, image by Holcim

image by incremental3D

project info:

name: Phoenix

designers: Holcim | @holcim.ltd in collaboration with Block Research Group at ETH Zurich | @ethzurich, Zaha Hadid Architects Computation and Design Group | @zhcode and incremental3D | @incremental3d.eu

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At the entrance of the Switzerland‘s growing Tech Cluster Zug, ETH Zurich and Gramazio Kohler Research celebrate the completion of a sculptural installation named Semiramis. The vertical garden has come to life with the help of robots and artificial intelligence, and transcends traditional urban concepts to evolve into a monument to nature and technology. Semiramis embodies the synergy of interactive computational design, machine learning, and digital fabrication. Its form, a towering 22.5-meter (74-foot) structure, consists of five organic wooden pods, elegantly suspended by eight slender steel pillars. See designboom’s previous coverage here!

images courtesy Gramazio Kohler Research

robotically-optimized geometries by eth zurich

The Semiramis installation owes its unique form to a pioneering machine learning design method developed by ETH Zurich‘s chair in partnership with the Swiss Data Science Center. This method allowed the team to iteratively generate the most efficient design variations, considering factors like sunshade, rain protection, and plantable surfaces.

The collaboration with the Computational Robotics Lab led to the creation of a custom tool which enables the optimization of the complex geometry of individual pods, while meticulously accounting for material properties and fabrication parameters. It ensured that each panel maintained its flatness and adhered to specified size constraints while enhancing structural integrity.

The integration of cross-laminated timber plates was achieved with a novel assembly procedure, developed by Gramazio Kohler Research, ETH Zurich, TS3, and the Chair for Timber Structures at ETH Zurich. The process allowed for the precision bonding of wood components, enabling the creation of intricate folded wood structures on a large scale.

a suspended garden in the sky

The robotic assembly of Semiramis represents a groundbreaking moment for Gramazio Kohler Research. At ETH Zurich’s Robotic Fabrication Lab, four robots worked in tandem, constituting an unprecedented additive manufacturing process. The team collaborated closely with Intrinsic to integrate their robot planning technology with COMPAS FAB, an open-source robotic fabrication package.

Semiramis’s vertical landscaping concept, conceived and executed in collaboration with Müller Illien Landscape Architects Gmbh, offers a sanctuary for nature to thrive. These pagoda-like pods are off-limits to human access, preserving the undisturbed growth of a new and ever-evolving ecosystem. As spectators, we can only admire this living artwork from below and, in the future, from the surrounding buildings set to rise in the Tech Cluster Zug.

Semiramis owes its unique form to a machine learning design method, resulting in an interplay of wood and steel

Beyond its role as an artistic installation, Semiramis serves as a retreat and communal space for the Tech Cluster Zug’s workers and residents. Its centralized irrigation system ensures green densification, filtering light and creating varying degrees of shade on the ground. This design provides a comfortable microclimate during the hot summer months, making Semiramis at once a work of art and a functional and sustainable addition to the urban landscape.

the installation stands tall at the entrance of Tech Cluster Zug, Switzerland

the pagoda-like pods are off-limits to humans, allowing nature to flourish undisturbed in this urban habitat

semiramis owes its unique form to a groundbreaking machine learning design method

the robotic assembly is a milestone in the field, with four robots working together to create this installation

project info:

project title: Semiramis

architecture: ETH Zurich + Gramazio Kohler Research

location: Zug, Switzerland

completion: 2022

client: Urban Assets Zug AG

general contractor: Erne AG Holzbau

collaborators: Müller Illien Landschaftsarchitekten GmbH, Timbatec Holzbauingenieure Schweiz AG

team: Matthias Kohler, Fabio Gramazio, Sarah Schneider, Matteo Pacher, Aleksandra Apolinarska, Pascal Bach, Gonzalo Casas, Philippe Fleischmann, Matthias Helmreich, Michael Lyrenmann, Beverly Lytle, Romana Rust

industry partners: TS3 AG, Intrinsic

selected experts: Chair for Timber Structures, ETH Zürich; Computational Robotics Lab, ETH Zürich – Krispin Wandel, Bernhard Thomaszewsky, Roi Poranne, Stelian Coros; Swiss Data Science Center – Luis Salamanca, Fernando Perez-​Cruz

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Researchers at ETH Zurich and the Max Planck Institute for Polymer Research in Mainz have discovered a way to convert fog into liquid while simultaneously purifying it from pollutants to produce clean, drinkable water. They use a closely-meshed lattice of metal wire coated with a mixture of polymers and titanium dioxide. The polymers efficiently capture water droplets on the mesh and facilitate their rapid drainage into a container before the wind can blow them away. The titanium dioxide plays a crucial role in the chemical process, breaking down the molecules of various organic pollutants present in the droplets to cleanse and purify them. 

The result is clean, drinkable water achieved through chemical reactions and processes. The researchers claim that their technology may require minimal maintenance and energy, thanks to the materials used and its reliance on solar panels for power. Just half an hour of sunlight can reactivate the titanium dioxide for an additional 24 hours, thanks to a property known as photocatalytic memory. Their research joins a growing number of ways to capture fog and produce clean water, including the expandable Fog-x backpack by Pavels Liepins and the CloudFisher net.

images by researchers at ETH Zurich and Max Planck Institute for Polymer Research in Mainz

From polluted fog to drinkable clean water 

The researchers – composed ofRitwick Ghosh, Adrien Baut, Giorgio Belleri, Michael Kappl, Hans-Jürgen Butt, and Thomas M. Schutzius – have already tested the nets in a laboratory and a small pilot plant in Zurich. Based on their studies, they were able to collect eight percent of the water from the nets and break down 94 percent of the harmful compounds that would have rendered it undrinkable or unusable. These pollutants included extremely fine diesel droplets and the chemical bisphenol A, a hormonally active agent.

Along with clean water, the technology can also be employed to recover water from cooling towers. Thomas M. Schutzius explains, ‘In cooling towers, steam escapes into the atmosphere. It would make sense to capture some of that water before it escapes and ensure it’s pollutant-free if you want to reintroduce it into the environment.’  These nets, capable of converting and purifying fog into clean, drinkable water, can be deployed in regions where fog is prevalent, such as Peru, Bolivia, Chile, Morocco, and Oman, thereby enabling access to clean water for daily use.

image by Thomas Schutzius

visuals of how the nets can purify the fog to produce clean water

CloudFisher turns fog into drinking water in Morocco’s driest regions | read the full story here

the researchers use metal wire coated with polymers and titanium dioxide

the chemical-infused metal wire can convert and purify the fog the nets collect into clean water

expandable Fog-x backpack by Pavels Liepins harvests fresh water from thin air | read the full story here

project info:

name: Fog collecting nets

team: Ritwick Ghosh, Adrien Baut, Giorgio Belleri, Michael Kappl, Hans-Jürgen Butt, and Thomas M. Schutzius

institutions: ETH Zurich, Max Planck Institute for Polymer Research

The post researchers develop nets that convert and purify fog into drinkable clean water appeared first on designboom | architecture & design magazine.

The Digital Building Technologies team at ETH Zurich present Airlements — an architectural alternative for sustainable and durable construction. Exploring applications of digital fabrication, the research project uses 3D-printed geopolymer-based mineral foams to conceive a lightweight insulated construction element that can reduce building materials, labor, and costs.

These elements, made from recycled industrial waste, can be cast together with foam and coated with a protective cover of cement-free plaster, lending the elements a lower carbon footprint than foamed concrete or plastic foams. With hollow insides, the insulating, custom-shaped blocks can be assembled to form a two-meter-tall monolithic system for non-structural walls.

ETH Zurich explores digital fabrication for construction elements | all images courtesy of the author

3d-printed mineral foam blocks for sustainable building

Airlements leverages moldless fabrication through a large-scale robotic 3D-printing system developed at ETH Zurich (more here) in collaboration with FenX AG (more here). The prototype is an assembly of four hollow foam segments, each weighing just 25 kg, which were printed then hardened for one week with a controlled temperature of 20 – 28°C and relative humidity of 20 – 70%. Consequently, no energy-intensive processing was required — an advancement to ETH Zurich’s previous research using cement-free mineral foams. The corrugated texture of the prints, which lends a sculptural finish, results from the path design that increases the strength during hardening.

The research team has experimented with different densities of the material to provide controlled insulation and strength where needed. This in turn reduces the operation energy required for heating buildings and facilitates the future reuse and recycling of building parts. With plans to enhance the prototype, future development will focus on increasing the elements’ load-bearing capacity and fabrication precision of the 3D-printing system.

industrial waste recycled for 3D-printed mineral foam construction blocks

four blocks stacked together for a two-meters-tall prototype

a lightweight insulated construction element for non-structural walls

Airlements can reduce building materials, labor, and costs

a collaboration between ETH Zurich’s Digital Building Technologies team and FenX AG

the hollow blocks, printed in custom-shapes, can be cast together using foam

a sculptural finish

the cement-free geopolymer-based mineral foam elements have a low carbon footprint

production process

project info:

name: Airlements
designer: Digital Building Technologies, ETH Zurich

designboom has received this project from our DIY submissions feature, where we welcome our readers to submit their own work for publication. see more project submissions from our readers here.

edited by: ravail khan | designboom

The post ETH zurich recycles industrial waste for 3D-printed mineral foam construction elements appeared first on designboom | architecture & design magazine.